We made a mistake

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much.Bill Hybels

Sometimes you come across something surprising. Bill Hybels, CEO of megachurch Willowcreek, says we were wrong in our programing. The Christianity Today blog quotes Hybels in even stronger tone:-

"We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."

We have been told that outside Bill Hybels’ office there is a notice which says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” I'd still say careful Bill because your fundamental premise is still consumer based programing centred.

The research has shown that “Increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities [the old programing] does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more." The danger here is of a reactionary swing from communal to individual faith. I agree with fellow blogger Jared at gospeldrivenchurch.blogspot that abandoning church as community is not the right option either. Furthermore in my studies and own journey in life it has been the discovery and continued rediscovery of God that provides the motivation and orientation in life. The techniques i.e. spiritual practices are only techniques aka programs on an individual scale meeting perceived needs.

I been in discussion this week about structures and programs and faith development, Somehow good leadership has been equated with good management and good business practice. Yet the Old Testament records that a king was not what God wanted for Israel.

All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel ... They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have. 1Sam 8:4-5